Arthur Jacob Lyons was born into a large Jewish family in Paddington, London. His parents were Frederick Moses Lyons and Esther Blanche Davis. He started off as an apprentice to his father, a warehouseman, before going on to study at the Royal Academy Schools from 1894 to 1897. He married an Australian, Zillah Louise Mandelson, in 1898.
Around 1900 he was in Bexhill, becoming the Principal of the newly established School of Art and Science. Reports of the School's opening describe him as 'an old scholar of the Royal Academy Schools' who had 'won a reputation in London for his black and white work. He has done a good deal of illustrating for the leading periodicals, and been an exhibitor of landscape and figure painting. Having had a considerable experience in teaching, Mr Lyons is well qualified for giving lessons in drawing and painting in all their branches.' In 1911 he exhibited at the Royal Academy, and also in Liverpool.
David Tovey has written of Lyons' career as follows: 'Lyons was a London-born figure painter, who based himself in Paris in the pre-First World War years, and took refuge in St Ives for a while on the outbreak of the War. However, whilst his stay was brief, he seems to have become fully involved with the community. Fehrer records him as studying at the Julian Academy in 1900 under Bouguereau and Ferrier, and he first started exhibiting his work in Paris in 1908. He also appears to have studied under J P Laurens, as he won a medal at the Salon in 1909 for his depiction of a banquet of Laurens’ students. He came to St Ives in July 1914, took a house in Sea View Terrace and appears to have shared Edmund Fuller’s studio on the Quay. In December 1914, he did a colour illustration for the St Ives Times depicting Kaiser Wilhelm being cooked in a pot with the allied commanders looking on, with monies raised from the sale going to the paper’s “Tobacco for the Troops” fund. He also contributed to the Belgian Relief Fund.
Lyons participated in Show Day in 1915, when his principal exhibit was Au Cinema, a painting of the interior of a Paris cinema, which he had shown at the Salon the previous year. The reviewer was impressed, “Mr A J Lyons is an artist with a decided talent for portraiture and figure study. His principal canvas Au Cinema has afforded ample scope for the display of his abilities in this direction. It shows the interior of a cinema during a performance, and he has endeavoured to portray - and with much success - the varying types of features naturally found in such a place. The figure of a soldier, who occupies the central position, is a splendid piece of portrait painting. The amount of work put into the picture is amazing, but the quality throughout is well maintained.” He also showed two other figure studies, The Blue Robe, described as ”an attractive and brilliantly coloured theme”, and Chrysanthemums. In early April 1915, Lyons agreed to paint a 24” x 20” canvas, with the proceeds going to the Fire Relief Fund, set up when the Salvation Army building was burnt down that March, a disaster which resulted in a number of locals losing their livelihood. However, this only seems to have been sold for 10s-6d (Edmund Fuller’s painting done for the same cause fetched £2-10 and William Parkyn’s £1-1). However, on 23rd April 1915, the local paper noted that Lyons had resigned from the War Relief Fund, as he was leaving St Ives. A painting of a Harlequinade dancer, dated 1915, one of the only works by him to have come on the market recently, is likely to have been done in London, where he was recorded as living for his exhibits in 1920. He had one last success at the Paris Salon in 1928.' [Courtesy of David Tovey]
In the 1921 census he is resident in Kensington, together with his wife Zillah and 18-year-old son Douglas Arthur Lyons. He is described as an advertising artist and an employer. Zillah died in 1924. The following year, he changed his name to Arthur John Templeman, which he announced in The London Gazette, saying that he had 'renounced and abandoned the name of Arthur Jacob Lyons', describing himself as a designer. In 1929 he moved to The Manor House at Great Wymondley, near Hitchin, from where he was advertising sketching classes. A contemporary press story also records that he had offered to design the costumes and scenery for the local drama society.
He married Jeanette Alice Bateman in 1933. In the 1939 England and Wales Register he is recorded under the name of Templeton as an artist (painter) living in Hitchin. An annotation records that he is an air raid warden and as 'Ret: Indian Army Reserve Supply & Transport Corps'. He died in Hitchin in 1948.
This listing has been updated (2023) thanks to the rigorous research of Ann Bukantas, recently retired after 20 years as Head of Fine Art for National Museums Liverpool, with responsibility for the fine art collections at the Walker Art Gallery, Lady Lever Art Gallery and Sudley House.
An oil painting on board of Truro Cathedral by an artist with the signature M S, is in the art collection of the Royal Cornwall Hospital.
The artist was born in Luton, Bedfordshire and studied there at the School of Art, then at Loughborough College of Art & Design, followed by postgraduate studies at the RA Schools and a Junior Fellowship at Cardiff College. Since 1979 she has been a part-time lecturer at Falmouth College of Art.
In 1995 Mabbutt won the John Moores Liverpool Art Prize. She exhibits regularly at the Paton Gallery, London, and participates in many group shows in Cornwall and beyond. Her work has been shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and is held in corporate collections.
Educated at Worcester Grammar School for Girls and Imperial College, London. Moved to Cornwall in 1996. Married to poet George MacBeth (died 1992) - two children by him - Lally and George, aged 21 and 19. Lived with sculptor Robert Bradford until 2010. Penny's practice includes painting , textiles and mosaics - all highly colourful and decorative. She paints portraits on commission and collaborates with fellow artist Linda STYLES on custom designed mosaic projects, incorporating hand glazed decorative tiles and recycled vintage china.
Lives above own studio/gallery space at 'Penny MacBeth Gallery' at 7 Broad Street, Penryn TR10 8JL. Has restored houses in Galway, Wadebridge and Ladock . Experience in the educational sphere as freelance practitioner with primary, secondary and tertiary colleges, community groups and festivals. Now runs regular exhibitions from gallery space, together with process based courses (textiles, ceramics, mosaics, painting) and a Wednesday evening talks programme throughout the year.
Sally MacCabe is a St Ives-based mixed media painter. She offers workshops in mixed media from her garden studio.
MacLeod is a painter and illustrator who moved to Cornwall in 1977, living at St Erth near Penzance. He specialises in historical marine painting, and his oil painting of Morning Departure, Penzance Harbour (c1890) depicts the busy scene around the regular departure of the steamship 'Lady of the Isles' to St Mary's, Isles of Scilly.
Donald studied design and graphics at High Wycombe School of Art, and some of his paintings have been taken up and used for greeting cards.
A painting by this artist, Boat at St Ives (oil on board) is in the collection of Royal Cornwall Museum.
Sarah MacDonald was born in Brisbane, Australia. Her work has been exhibited in Australia, London, Oxford and Cornwall. She moved to Cornwall in 2016 and currently lives in Newlyn.
A native of Cornwall, in 2010 Macey was involved in a yearlong project to paint National Trust landscapes in ten regions throughout the British Isles. Integral to the commission was an accompanying film, created by Cornwall's Three S Films, based on a series of DVDs featuring the artist on-location at various sites around the county (for the Cornish part of the project). These include not only the iconic St Michael's Mount, but also Godrevy, Cape Cornwall, Botallack etc, and the artist explains his techniques and gives advice to others wishing to follow in his paintmarks.
Limited edition prints and cards are made from his images, which are sold to support the National Trust in conserving Britain's landscapes.
In 2009 he completed a similar major project for the RNLI, painting 180 locations around the English coast, raising much needed funds for them.
In 2017 he painted his way around the coast of Arctic Svalbard, documenting the wildlife and climate changes affecting this fragile environment.
In 2020 Macey decided to re-visit the 180 locations featured on his 2010 expedition, to raise awareness and funds for coastal conservation projects.
Macey is a regular exhibitor at Gallery Tresco. He has led workshops in acrylics at Truro Arts Company (2018).
An artist loosely associated with St Ives, Wood lists MacGibbon as having an address in Glasgow and exhibiting a view of the Palais de Justice (Rouen) at the RA in 1891.
Born in Bushire, Iran, of Irish parents, MacIvor studied at Alexandra College, Dublin and at Julian's in Paris, and exhibited from 1908 at the Paris Salons. By 1912, her address was 4 Piazza Studios, St Ives.
She married artist Frank Proschwitzry FREYBURG, and although by 1917 the couple had moved to London, they continued to visit St Ives frequently. She illustrated the Wonder Book for Children.
Rosie Mack studied classical oil painting at university. Her work has been exhibited at Botallack Count House and Penwith Gallery. Her subjects include Cornwall's industrial heritage and landscape.
The artist Yolanda Mack was formerly a director of the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society.
Alan Mackay is a Newlyn-based painter who attended Camberwell Art School from 1960 to 1964. He says: 'My paintings and sculptures are made to realise a sense of monumentality. I work with careful deliberation to remove inessentials, tightening my grip on the idea, seeking in nature and the human form, shapes that are both expressive and contain an element of visual drama.'
His work has been exhibited widely in Cornwall and beyond, and is held in private collections across the UK and in Europe.
He is a regular exhibitor at STISA open shows.
Painter, designer and illustrator Born on 10 April 1861 in Shanghai, China (GRO), the son of James Mackenzie, a Scottish merchant, and Euphemia, a Canadian mother.
MacKenzie arrived in Newlyn in 1888 as a painter and illustrator, and thereafter the whole direction and purpose of his life changed. A committed Christian (Quaker), who practiced his faith in daily life, he was soon deeply involved in the community life of the Newlyn fisherfolk.
In 1890, with the help of a handful of local artists and others, he founded the Newlyn Industrial Class (later called The Newlyn Art Metal Industry), with the aim of providing a useful occupation for young fishermen in their spare time and during times of unemployment. He was a brilliant designer, and soon the young craftsmen were executing his ideas mainly in repousse copper, but also in brass and pewter, sometimes with enamel embellishments.
In 1892, the fine repousse designer and craftsman John PEARSON joined him from the Guild of Handicraft in Whitechapel as a teacher of teachers, and soon the best Newlyn metalwork was appearing in London exhibitions - and ultimately at Liberty's. Thus, he voluntarily abandoned his ambitions as a painter, although he still made line drawings from time to time.
Mackenzie played a leading part in many aspects of local life, both religious and secular. He ran Bible classes, read the Lessons, designed with Frank BRAMLEY the Band of Hope banner, helped run the Seaman's Rest Centre, and umpired cricket matches. With Reginald Thomas DICK he set up the Newlyn Press that printed, among other things, the short-lived Paper Chase, a journal published by Elizabeth FORBES, and edited by Fryn JESSE.
A life-long bachelor, he lived variously at Belmont on Paul Hill, The School House at Gwavas Quay, and in lodgings at 2 Antoine Terrace, Newlyn. The start of WWI brought a suspension of workshop activities, though Mackenzie continued to involve himself in Newlyn life, and for several years he served on the Committee of the Newlyn Art Gallery. In July 1918, at the age of 57 and in poor health, he was in Norfolk camping with a group of young Newlyn fishermen who had joined the Cornwall Volunteer Training Corps attached to the Sixth Suffolks when influenza broke out. In Mackenzie's case, this was followed by pneumonia, and hee died in the Norfolk War Hospital on 22 July 1918 (GRO).
According to one tribute, "he devoted himself to the care of two sick Newlyn lads, and this hastened his own death."
He was a much admired figure in Cornish life. [Summary contributed by TFG Jones, to Hardie (2009) Artists in Newlyn and West Cornwall]
An American, born in Kansas City, Missouri, MacKenzie and his wife Alix lodged at the Leach Pottery cottage, and for a period of two years learned from Bernard LEACH the techniques of throwing that had been lacking in their previous training (at the Art Institute of Chicago). From this apprenticeship experience they developed their own functional designs and standard ware. Returning to the USA, they built a two-chambered climbing kiln in their workshop at Stillwater, Minnesota while the ceramist took up a lectureship at the University of Minnesota in 1953. Alix worked alongside her husband in every respect until her death in 1962.
Warren progressed to Full Professor of Ceramics at Minnesota, and is now Emeritus Professor. Warren still uses an adaptation of the wheel originally built for the St Ives pottery by Dicon NANCE. He is quoted as saying that 'without Bernard's pioneering leadership, pottery made by the individual craftsman would not have realised the acclaim it enjoys today', and he continues to remember Leach, Shoji HAMADA and YANAGA as providing him with his springboard to the future.
Considered today as one of the most distinguished potters of his generation, honours and retrospective exhibitions abound. His teaching is also available by video on the Internet.
Called in one obituary an 'austere painter of the modern St Ives School' (Davies) in description of his careful, perfected abstractions of landscape art. A charming and quiet man, both his teaching and his art stood as a beacon of high intellectual quality and counterbalance to the negative reaction to the political ferments often found in artistic circles.
Born in Liverpool, MacKenzie attended Liverpool College of Art between 1946-1950, after completion of Army service. His first move into Cornwall was to St Ives in 1951, at an especially contentious and competitive time. He exhibited his work in a Solo show at Robin NANCE's shop on the main street.
In 1953 he moved on to Newlyn and Penzance, where he felt more at home, and where he taught at the Art School until 1964, whilst still exhibiting successfully in St Ives, Newlyn, London, New York and elsewhere.
Thereon for twenty years, he was the Head of the Department of Fine Art at Plymouth College of Art and Design, in residence there with his wife, Coralie CROCKETT (who died in 1973), and three daughters. In retirement from his teaching post at Plymouth, Alex returned to West Cornwall, living and working in his studio-home on Morrab Road, Penzance near the Penlee House Museum.
His sculptural and sensuous style in architectural and geometric formats enhanced the landscapes and sky-lines he loved and studied. Both his teaching and his clear, calm style influenced many artists who might have more public recognition. His reputation continues to grow.
An artist from New Zealand who enrolled c1904-06 at the FORBES SCHOOL in Newlyn.
Fleur Mackie spent her childhood in Cameroon, France and the UK. She and her husband Alastair MACKIE met at art school in London in the late 1990s before moving to Cornwall. Their work has over time evolved into a natural collaboration, and has been widely exhibited in the UK, Europe and the USA.
Alastair Mackie grew up in an agricultural community in Cornwall. He and his wife Fleur MACKIE met at art school in London in the late 1990s before moving to Cornwall. Their work has over time evolved into a natural collaboration, and has been widely exhibited in the UK, Europe and the USA.
Bridget Macklin is a ceramicist who incorporates Cornish mining waste material into her work.
The artist produced one of the few known paintings featuring the Porthmeor Road Studios which, as Tovey explains, 'captures the view of the beach side of these studios, as seen from The Island.' On St Ives Show Day 1916 both Pauline HEWITT and Sara MacLEAN used the Rose Lodge Studio, Wharf Road for the exhibition of their work, and she was noted in the local newspaper.
Margo was born in Penzance, and studied art at the Bath Academy of Art from 1949-52, and further at the Penzance School of Art. A major influence on her simplicity of approach to landscape and coastal painting was one of her Corsham tutors, William SCOTT, for whom she also worked as a studio assistant.
She taught in London and then Gibraltar for two years before returning to live in Cornwall, to settle and live with her Belgian-born husband Willy Maeckelberghe, a general practitioner much-loved in the area.
The painter was a long-time member of the Newlyn Society of Artists, having served in all respects on the the Council of Management and the Committees of the NSA. She exhibited widely and internationally. Her work is held in many public collections, including Exeter University and Cornwall Council.
She was Chairman of the Penwith Society of Artists. Her paintings feature the sweeping, evocative landscapes of her native Cornwall, and views from the Isles of Scilly, of coastal rockscapes, seas and skies.